Nation’s fracturing is saddening to see

I have spent my life in this country, and I believe it is the greatest country on Earth. But today, I don’t recognize it as a wonderful place. It seems to be filled with more hate than I ever thought possible: Democrats against Republicans, religion vs. gays, Christians hating Muslims. The country has gone crazy.

There are no compromises between factions. Does anyone ever listen to the other side? The political parties have been at odds for the last 15 years, unwilling to bend no matter who gets hurt. Worse, the Republicans have been the “Party of No,” which would be acceptable if the attitude was born in what’s right for the country, but it isn’t. It comes from the hatred of an African-American president.

We 99 percent are struggling to survive, while the upper 1 percent is getting richer, paying fewer taxes and buying politicians. The Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to donate as citizens is ruining democracy itself, allowing companies to buy our representatives. How could the judges not have seen this as a probability? That one act alone demolishes the one-person-one-vote concept that we have lived by. It’s sad to see the demise of national rationality.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 8:07 PM with the headline "Nation’s fracturing is saddening to see."